


Christmas Wrapping

by loveoverpride



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Prompt, F/M, Romance, relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 20:11:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9012469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveoverpride/pseuds/loveoverpride
Summary: Katniss sucks at gift wrapping. Taken from a Tumblr prompt.





	

  
Katniss is about to throw all of the gifts into the trash.  

No YouTube tutorial is going to salvage this mission. She can’t wrap any of the presents she is planning to exchange. Frustration builds by the second, as she mumbles creative strings of profanity with each mess-up of tape placement, or rips of paper.

She sucks at this. Committing to impress her sister, mother, and uncle Haymitch that she can go beyond tissue paper and cutesy bags. That’s for the birds. 

Mistake of the year, again. 

“What in the living hell?”

Katniss looks up to find her fiancé, standing in the doorway.  What he surveys is a mass of decorated paper that has been crumpled around her feet. 

“What?”

“Need some help?”

“No, I don’t need your help,” Katniss frowns, more annoyed that Peeta is smiling, being a little too chipper about all of this. He knows about this challenge.

“How long?”

Katniss faintly acknowledges with a “Hmm?”

“How long have you been struggling with that box?”

A heavy sigh.

“Thirty minutes.”

Peeta kneels down, giving her a sympathetic backrub. “Babycakes, want to see a trick? It can go a helluva lot quicker.”

“No.”

He snorts at her refusal, then proceeds to move behind her, taking her hands into his. “Okay, spread out the paper. Now put your gift in the middle…”

In a gentle, but confident voice, Peeta instructs. Katniss watches her fingers move with grace, like never before.

“It takes a while. Patience. But you’ll get the hang of it,” he assures, kissing the small of her neck. The soft touch of his lips on her skin take her breath away, like it always has for the last three years.

“What string do you want to use?”

“Red,” she quickly replies, thankfully remembering to speak.

Peeta reaches over to grab the ribbon and hands it to Katniss.

“Try it.”

Several deep breaths later, Katniss pulls the string tightly, making precise cuts in the right spots. Careful to avoid tugging too fast.  And then, she finishes her bow. On the first attempt. 

“Wow,” she sighs.  

Peeta wrinkles his nose in glee, very proud of his lady. “Great job, Kat. Now you have ten more to go. Think you can do it?”

“I need to stretch my limbs first,” she states, finally rising to her feet. “I’ve been curled down here for almost an hour. But yes, I’ll be able to. If you can help with the next three.”

She turns to find Peeta assembling for the next round.  

“You’re too kind.”

Shrugging, Peeta reminds her of the time she convinced her family from taking a trip to the pool, saving him from embarrassment.

Katniss leans down to give him a kiss. “Baby, that’s what you and I do. We protect each other.”

That's their favorite phrase. Only second to “I love you.”


End file.
